Nail Health Chart: Common Problems and Treatment

Some nail concerns can indicate health issues, including vitamin deficiencies and chronic conditions. But nail issues often occur due to injury or overexposure to moisture.Nail health is closely associated with how well your body is functioning in other areas.“For the general population, nail health is most often an indicator of poor nutritional intake or poor digestion,” explains Dr. Sara Norris, a naturopathic doctor based in Los Angeles. “Brittle, weak, and peeling nails are the most common concerns I see in my practice, and these symptoms are more often the result of a poor diet than of systemic disease.”Dr. Mark Benor, clinical assistant professor of family medicine at Keck School of Medicine, agrees: “My job is reassuring people that their nail issues usually don’t bespeak a serious underlying illness,” he explains. “The family medicine clinic is full of patients with nail findings of no significance outside of the anxiety they create.”Healthy nails are considered to be smooth wi...